Team leader - National climate change adaptation action plan preparation

Background

UNDP Sri Lanka is supporting the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Environment to develop National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan for different sectors that are vulnerable to climate change. The Climate Change Division is the focal point for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol.

Being a developing country subjected to tropical climate patterns, Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to potential Climate Change impacts. Potential to increase the frequency of occurring extreme weather events will have adverse impacts on the socio-cultural context of the country. In addition such events will lead to increased disaster occurrences and loss of lives and properties.

Therefore a national level action plans to address the potential climate change impacts on different sectors is essential to ensure sustainable socio-economic development in the country and to target investments.

A National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan that addresses different sectors has to be prepared in line with the National Climate Change Policy (2011) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (2011).

Scope:

The Team Leader-National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans Preparation will work with the Climate Change division of the Ministry of Environment and other government and international organizations to achieve the tasks detailed under the Responsibilities section of the Terms of Reference.

Objectives:

To support the national efforts to minimize the impacts of potential Climate Change impacts to different sectors by developing sector specific National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans.

Expected Outputs:

• Identify a team of sector experts and carry out sector consultations
• Draft compilation of sector National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans of Sri Lanka with timelines and priorities
• Finalized sector action plans along with monitoring mechanism to track the progress of implementation of proposed action plans

Timeframe:

• The envisaged time frame of the consultancy is three (3) months.

Duties and responsibilities

Responsibilities:

The Team Leader-National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan Preparation will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

• Mobilize the services of experts who could advise on the following subject areas in relation to the potential Climate Change impacts
1. Food security
2. Water
3. Health
4. Forestry and Biodiversity
5. Human settlement infrastructure design and development
6. Coastal and marine resources
7. Disaster management
• Lead the team of experts to review and prepare priority actions to meet the challenges of climate change by different sectors.
• Submit a report on the strategies thus prepared to the Climate Change division of the Ministry of Environment for comments
• Lead the team of experts to identify actions under each strategy to be implemented during 2013-2020 period and identify the short term (1-2 years), medium term (3-5 years) and long term (5-8 years) implementation of the activities with relevant costs
• Identify the institutional arrangements to implement actions identified for implementation including a monitoring system
• Finalize the National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans for Sri Lanka
• Build capacity of Climate Change Division staff to update action plans and to monitor the implementation

The role of UNDP:

UNDP will provide the consultant with all the necessary support (not under the consultant’s control) to ensure that the consultant(s) undertake the work with reasonable efficiency.

The role of the Climate Change Division:

The Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Environment will help the consultant to coordinate meetings, organize workshops etc. In addition the staff of the division will work with the consultant and sector experts on a day to day basis to improve their skills.

Competencies

• Strong capacity for discussion / workshop facilitation;
• Consistently ensures timeliness and quality of work
• Excellent coordination and team working skills
• Proven experience in result based management systems
• Demonstrated analytical, communication and report writing skills.

Required skills and experience

Education:

• A Master’s degree in Climatology, Development Economics or any other relevant subject areas with minimum of 10 years of experience in senior administrative or policy planning position.

Experience:

• Experience in designing Climate Change adaptation programmes
• Experience in national level policy, strategies and action plans preparation

Language requirements:

• Good knowledge of written and oral English. Sinhala and/or Tamil knowledge is also essential.